In 2025, the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova received EUR 6.3 million in non-repayable financial assistance from international donors, including the European Union, as well as the governments of Sweden, United Kingdom, and Germany. The data appears in a report published by the region’s so-called Ministry of Economy.
According to the publication Zona de Securitate, European funds are typically directed to specific projects and managed by non-governmental organizations, which implement them locally. The funds remain under the control of these organizations and are used strictly for project purposes, without direct management by the separatist authorities, even though such funding is mentioned in official reports.
One of the largest programs is EU Confidence Building Measures, financed by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. Active since 2009, it supports both banks of the Dniester River by providing grants and consulting to entrepreneurs, as well as funding social infrastructure projects.
Through this initiative, schools, kindergartens, medical institutions, and cultural centers have been renovated, while projects in tourism, agriculture, and creative industries have received support. Among notable works is the restoration of the Tighina Fortress.
Additional cultural heritage projects funded under EU programs include the restoration of the Tipova Monastery, the bell tower in Vadul lui Rascov, the ruins of the Great Synagogue in Rascov, and the facade of the former Savings Bank and Treasury building in Bender, each with an estimated budget of about EUR 72,000.
Another key initiative is EU4Trade / Ready4Trade, funded by the EU, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. Since 2020, it has supported 66 entrepreneurs on both banks of the Dniester in launching or expanding their businesses.
European assistance has also included humanitarian and energy support. For example, in February 2025, the European Union allocated around EUR 20 million to ensure gas supply during a crisis period (February 1–10), and later proposed an additional EUR 60 million, to which authorities in Tiraspol did not respond.
Although international organizations and NGOs manage these funds, projects still require approval from the structures of the separatist administration.